Machine gun mount



April 18, 1944. cs. IRONSIDE MACHINE GUN MOUNT 3 Shee ts-Sheet 1 FiledApril 24, 1940.

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MACHINE GUN MOUNT Filed April 24, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .Z'f 5'Jinx-517$ 02" 55 02195 flonsjde 4/. WM M w v Patented Apr. 18, 1944UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MACHINE GUN MOUNT necticut Application April24, 1940, Serial No. 331,322

10 Claims.

This invention relates to machine gun mounts of the type adapted foranti-aircraft firing which include a magazine supporting bracket movablycarried by the mount and connectible to the gun for movement therewithsuch that the magazine and feed channel of the gun are at all timessimilarly relatively positioned when the gun is mounted in anti-aircraftfiring position. A mount of this type is illustrated and claimed in mycopending application Serial No. 229,141 filed September 9, 1938, nowPatent No. 2,210,538.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide in a machine gun mountof the above described character means for connecting the magizinesupporting bracket to the gun such that the magazine can not occupy itsnormal position relatively to the gun feed channel except when thesupporting bracket is properly connected to the gun.

Another object is to provide in a mount of the above character means forconnecting the magazine supporting bracket to the gun such that thebracket can not be disconnected from the gun so long as the magazineoccupies its normal position relatively to the gun feed channel.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be readily apparentto those skilled in the art.

Inthe accompanying drawings I have shown the now preferred embodiment ofthe invention. but it will be understood that the drawings are intendedfor illustrative purposes only and are not to be construed as definingor limiting the scope of the invention, the claims forming a part ofthis specification being relied upon for that purpose.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a machine gun mount embodying theinvention and showing a machine gun mounted thereon in ground firingposition.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view, partly in section, of therearward portion of the mount.

Fig. 3 is an elevational View similar to that of Fig. 1 but with the gunand mount in anti-aircraft firing position.

Fig. 4' is a fragmentary View showing the gun in high angle firingposition.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary rear end elevational view of the mount as shownin Fig. 3, the breech of the gun being skeletonized.

The phrase ground firing is used herein to designate that type of firein which the line of sight is substantially horizontal, and the phraseanti-aircraft firing is used to designate that type of fire in which theline of sight is at a relatively high angle such as when firing ataircraft. In both instances the phrases are used merely for the purposeof description and not limitation.

Referring to the drawings, G indicates a machine gun which may be of anydesired type, although for the purposes of this specification I haveillustrated a gun of the type shown in the J. M. Browning Patent No.1,293,021. The gun is held in firing position by a cradle I which iscarried by a support generally indicated at S. The illustrated supportcomprises a tripod 2 and a head 3. The head is secured to the tripod andis rotatable about the axis of a pintle 4, suitable means being providedfor locking the head to the tripod in any desired position of azimuth.

The cradle l which is pivotally secured to the head by a pin 5 includestwo main side plates 6 secured to each other in spaced relationship inany suitable manner. The side plates preferably include segmentalportions 1 adapted to be clamped by a bolt 3 to hold the cradle in aplurality of ground firing positions.

For ground firing the gun is mounted as shown in Fig. l. A main trunnionpin 9 which extends through openings constituting gun trunion bear--ings in the cradle side plates 5 and through the main trunnion block ofthe gun pivotally secures the gun to the cradle. Another pin ill servesto secure the rear portion of the gun to a block ll adjustably supportedbetween the side plates 6 by an adjusting screw 12. An ammunitionmagazine bracket I3 is secured to one of the cradle side plates 5 andserves to support an ammunition box M in proper relationship withrespect to the feed channel C of the gun when mounted for ground firing.The bracket I3 is of the usual construction in which the magazine isassembled with the bracket by sliding the former downward so thatflanges 14 on the bracket are received in cooperating grooves in thesides of the magazine.

When the gun is to be used for anti-aircraft firing the pins 9 and H]are removed to permit dismounting of the gun from the cradle.v Thecradle is then swung to the position shown in Fig. 3 and locked in thisposition by any desired means. The cradle side plates 6 are providedwith gun trunnion bearings adjacent their rearward ends and a trunnionpin l5 serves to pivotally mount the gun as shown in Fig. 3. g

A second ammunition magazine supporting means, such as bracket i 8generally similar to the bracket 13, is provided for holding a maga inein proper relationship to the feed channel C of the gun when the latteris mounted for antiaircraft firing. The bracket i6 is securable to thegun that it will have movement corresponding to that of the gun as thelatter pivots on the trunnion pin 15. In the construction illustratedthe bracket l6 also comprises a segmental plate I 6* fixed to bracket 16by a plurality of pins 16*. Plate l6 in turn is pivotally supported by anut i! threaded onto boss l8, the nut having a bearing surface E9 on theexterior thereof and the bearing surface being concentric with the axisof trunnion pin l5. A guide bracket 29 is preferably secured to one ofthe cradle side plates 6 for engaging the lower arcuate edge of thesegmental plate.

Referring particularly to Figs. 2, 3 and 5, there is shown the nowpreferred construction for connecting the magazine supporting bracket Itto the gun when the latter is mounted for antiaircraft firing. Thisconnecting means comprises a pin M which is carried by the plate Mi andwhich is slidably transversely thereof in the aperture 22 into and outof engagement with an aperture 22 in one side wall of the gun. The pin iprovided with means such as the handle 23 and cross-pin 25s for limitingits transverse movement and also render the pin 2! normally inseparablefrom the plate 55 of bracket l5, whereby the pin is permanently carriedby said bracket. As is apparent from the drawings, the limits ofmovement of the pin M are such that unless the pin has been moved to theright (as viewed in Fig. as far as possible, the left'hand end of thepin will project into the path of travel of the ammunition magazine whenit is being moved to its normal position (that is, the position in whichit properly related to the feed channel) while being assembled with thebracket i6. Vifhen the gun G, bracket i6, and magazine M are in therelative positions shown in Fig. 5, the magazine serves to preventsufficient leftward movement of the pin to disconnect the bracket fromthe gun.

It will be apparent that the described construction effectively andpositively prevents the magazine from being placed in its normalposition relatively to the machine gun feed channel unless the brackethas been previously connected with the gun, and also that theconstruction is such that v the magazine and feed channel of the guncannot be accidentally moved out of properly related position so long asthe magazine occupies its normal position in which blocks leftwardmovement of the pin 2|.

Various changes and modifications within the scope of the appendedclaims will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

What I claim is:

1. In a machine gun mount of the type comprising a cradle adapted tomovably support in fir,- ing position a machine gun having a feedchannel, the combination of a magazine supporting bracket movablymounted on the cradle and adapted to normally support a magazineadjacent the feed channel of the gun when the gun is mounted in firingposition, and connecting means carried by the mount and movable withrespect to said bracket to and from a predetermined position in which itsecures said bracket to the gun to cause corresponding movement of thegun and bracket whereby the two are always similarly relativelypositioned, said connecting means having a portion which is positionedto obstruct movement of except when said connecting means is substanthemagazine to its normally supported position tially in said predeterminedposition.

2. In a machine gun mount of the type comprising a cradle adapted tomovably support in firing position a machine gun having a feed channel,the combination of a magazine supporting bracket movably mounted on thecradle and adapted to normally support a magazine adjacent the feedchannel of the gun when the gun is mounted in firing position, andconnecting means carried by the mount and movable with respect to saidbracket to and from a predetermined position in which it secures saidbracket to the gun to cause corresponding movement of the gun andbracket whereby the two are always similarly relatively positioned, saidmagazine when in its normally supported position being adjacent aportion of said connecting means to obstruct movement thereof from itssaid predetermined position.

3. In a machine gun mount of the type comprising a cradle adapted tomovably support in firing position a machine gun having a feed channel,the combination of a magazine supporting bracket movably mounted on thecradle and adapted to normally support a magazine adjacent the feedchannel of the gun when the gun is mounted in firing position, andconnecting means carried by the mount and movable with respect to saidbracket to and from a predetermined position in which a portion of saidconnecting means is received within an opening in said gun and securessaid bracket to the gun to cause corresponding movement of the gun andbracket whereby the two are always similarly relatively positioned, saidmagazine when in its normally supported position being adjacent anotherportion of said connecting means to obstruct movement thereof from saidpredetermined position and said another portion thereof also serving toobstruct movement of the magazine to its normally supported positionexcept when the connecting means is in its said predetermined position.

4. In a machine gun mount of the type comprising a cradle adapted tomovably support in firing position a machine gun having a feed channel,the combination of a magazine supporting bracket movably mounted on thecradle and adapted to normally support a magazine adjacent the feedchannel of the gun when the gun is mounted in firing position, andconnecting means inseparably carried by said bracket and movable withrespect to said bracket to and from a predetermined position in which itsecures said bracket to the gun to cause corresponding movement of thegun and bracket whereby the two are always similarlyrelativelypositioned, said connecting means having a portion which ispositioned to obstruct movement of the magazine to its normallysupported position except when said connecting means is substantially insaid predetermined position. v

5. In a machine gun mount of the type comprising a cradle adapted tomovably support in firing position a machine gun having a feed channel,the combination of a magazine supporting bracket movably mounted on thecradle and adapted to normally upport a magazine adja-- cent the feedchannel of the gun when the gun is mounted in firing position, andconnecting means inseparably carried by said bracket and movable withrespect to said bracket to and from a predetermined position in which itsecures said bracket to the gun to cause corresponding movement of thegun and bracket whereby the two are alwayssimilarly relativelypositioned, said magazine when in its normally supported position beingadjacent a portion of said connecting means to obstruct movement thereoffrom its said predetermined position.

6. In a machine gun mount of the type comprising a cradle adapted tomovably support in firing position a machine gun having a feed channel,the combination of a magazine supporting bracket movably mounted on thecradle and adapted to normally support a magazine adjacent the feedchannel of the gun when the gun is mounted in firing position, andconnecting means inseparably carried by said bracket and movable withrespect to said bracket to and from a predetermined position in which aportion of said connecting means is received within an opening in saidgun and secures said bracket to the gun to cause corresponding movementof the gun and bracket whereby the two are always similarly relativelypositioned, said magazine when in its normally supported position beingadjacent another portion of said connecting means to obstruct movementthereof from said predetermined position and said another portionthereof also serving to obstruct movement of the magazine to itsnormally supported position excepl when the connecting means is in itssaid predetermined position.

'7. In a machine gun mount of the type comprising a cradle adapted tomovably support in firing position a machine gun having a feed channeland an aperture in one wall thereof, the combination of a magazinesupporting bracket movably mounted on the cradle for normally supportinga magazine adjacent the feed channel of the gun when mounted in firingposition, said bracket when in normal supporting position being spaced agiven distance from said gun, and a pin of a length greater than thespace between the bracket and the gun slidably carried by the bracketfor movement transversely thereof to and from a predetermined positionin which one end of said pin is received in the aperture of the wall ofthe gun to secure the bracket to the gun and cause correspondingmovement of the gun and bracket whereby the two are always similarlyrelatively positioned, the other end of said pin being adapted toproject from the bracket and prevent the magazine from occupying itsnormally supported position when the first end of said pin is removedfrom said aperture in the gun.

8. In a machine gun mount of the type comprising a cradle adapted tomovably support a machine gun in anti-aircraft firing position, thecombination of a magazine supporting bracket movably mounted on thecradle for normally supporting a magazine adjacent the feed channel ofthe machine gun when mounted in anti-aircraft firing position, and a pinpermanently carried by the mount and slidable transversely thereof toand from a position in which it connects said bracket to the gun forcausing corresponding movement of the gun and, bracket whereby the twoare always similarly relatively positioned, said pin except whenproperly connecting said bracket to the gun being positioned to preventthe magazine from occupying its normal supported position.

9. In a machine gun mount of the type comprising a cradle adapted tomovably support a machine gun in anti-aircraft firing position, thecombination of a magazine supporting bracket movably mounted on thecradle for normally supporting a magazine adjacent the feed channel ofthe machine gun when mounted in anti-aircraft firing position, and a pinpermanently carried by the mount and slidable transversely thereof toand from a position in which it connects said bracket to the gun forcausing corresponding movement of the gun and said bracket whereby thetwo are always similarly relatively positioned, said pin being slidablefrom said position only upon movement of the magazine from its normalsupported position.

10. In a machine gun mount of the type comprising a cradle adapted tomovably support a machine gun in anti-aircraft firing position, thecombination of a magazine supporting bracket movably mounted on thecradle for normally sup.- porting a magazine adjacent the feed channelof the machine gun when mounted in anti-aircraft firing position, and apin permanently carried by the mount and slidable transversely thereofto and from a position in which it connects said bracket to the gun forcausing corresponding movement of the gun and bracket whereby the twoare always similarly relatively positioned, said pin except whenproperly connecting said bracket to the gun being positioned to preventthe magazine from occupying its normally supported position and beingslidable from its said connecting position only upon movement of themagazine from its normal supported position.

GEORGE IRONSIDE.

